The Mini-Puff, South Andros edition. Photos: Kyle Shea.
We’ve mentioned before that most of the time our bonefish on South Andros aren’t overly picky. However, we’d be lying if we said we don’t encounter our share of spooky bonefish from time to time. After all, they’re still bonefish!
For the most part, we like flies that are big and light. However, we’re also able to target bonefish in some pretty shallow water at times, sometimes less than six inches deep. Such conditions can make bonefish really spooky, and while the particular pattern is not overly important, if it lands like a frying pan its probably not going to end well.
Therefore, we always like to have a few smaller flies in our box ready for spooky fish in skinny water. One of the best patterns we’ve found for such conditions is the Mini Puff. It’s light, sparsely dressed, and the chenille ‘puff’ helps the bead chain eyes of the fly to enter the water softly. It’s a great fly to have in your bonefish box and today we’re going to show you how to tie it.
Materials:
Hook: Tiemco 811-S, Sz. 4-6.
Thread: UTC 140, Fire Orange.
Eyes: Medium Bead Chain Eyes, Silver.
Wing: Calf Tail, Tan.
Over Wing: Grizzly Hackle Tips.
Flash: Krystal Flash, Copper.
Head: Ultra Chenille, Hot Orange.
Step 1: Attach your thread to the hook and catch in bead chain eyes using figure eight wraps of thread. Make sure to leave enough room at the head of the fly for a single wrap of chenille.Step 2: Turn the hook over in the vise and catch in a small clump of tan calf tail just behind the bead chain eyes. The calf tail should extend slightly past the bend of the hook.Step 3: Catch in a grizzly hackle tip on each side of the wing, roughly the same length as the calf tail. Notice how the color of the calf tail shines through to give the wing a more natural barred appearance.Step 4: Double over a strand of Krystal Flash and tie in on top if the calf tail wing. We used copper here, but any color could be used.Step 5: Strip the coating back from a length of chenille. This will allow a cleaner tie-in point.Step 6: Catch chenille in at the tip and make one wrap in front of the wing, followed by a wrap BEHIND the wing. This will help to keep the wing propped up over the hook point instead of lying flat in the water.Step 7: Return the chenille to just in front of the wing. Continue wrapping chenille in a figure eight pattern to create a ‘puff’ ball around the eyes. Tie off chenille in front of bed chain eyes.Step 8: Trim chenille, build a clean head, whip finish, and cement.
